You or Me?
by purplepiano4
Summary: It was a mistake. Mistakes happen all the time. But this... This shouldn't have happened. Chapter 5: "The switch had been gradual at first; murky tones edging softly to swirl into the sky. But now? Now it was impossible to ignore." reviews make me happy ... *Eyebrow wiggle*
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! First off, thanks a bunch for checking out this story. It seriously means a lot. I've been working on this one and off for a few weeks, and I figured that I'd post this one up and see what happens. I took a week off of my other story, mostly because I felt like I was losing the characters and I wasn't happy with how the new chapter was turning out. Long story short, here I am, taking a break from about seven re-writes. Haha okay. I'm rambling. Anyway, let me know what you think! **

**Thanks! * p.s.* sorry if the ages are off. I kinda switched around ages to fit better with the story line.**

It was a frigid night in Gotham City; windows were dark and people were scarce. Rows of street lights illuminated small portions of cement across the empty streets, giving the area an all around lonely feel. It was quiet, and everything was still.

Nestled in the back corner of a shadowed alley, A tall, glass plated building sat, the very top reaching just high enough for a perfect birds eye view of numerous city blocks.

Perched on the very ledge of said building were two forms, still and hidden to anyone not specifically searching for them. A strong gust of wind swept over their bodies roughly, fabric rippling out behind their backs as it passed. What once were outlines of midnight black erupted in a short burst of bright color; Canary yellow and deep violet coloring the night before disappearing seconds later.

Moments after, one of the figures shift. The movement is quick, barely noticeable. A minute or two goes by before the action is repeated, this time more visibly. Again, another shift, slow but stealthy. Then again. And again, this time more exaggerated. The other shadow has yet to move, showing no sign of acknowledgement to any of the other's actions.

Finally, the fidgeting shape rises from their position, shuddering slightly as the cool air whips over their body.

"Jeez. We couldn't have picked a better night to patrol. I don't think any criminals are even willing to brave this weather." A soft voice breathed quietly.

"Shh. Don't wanna blow our cover, do you?" The whisper was barely heard over the roar of icy air.

The standing form, a girl, rolled her green eyes behind the lenses of a mask.

"Oh, calm down Robin. No ones out here." Her voice lowered to a grumble. "You're Just like Bats. Always so serious."

A short chuckle followed, but no movement.

The girl sighed, pushing some of her dark red hair out of her face as she walked toward the building's edge, stepping up onto the drop off and walking it like a tightrope. Her arms swayed from side to side as she held them out, keeping her balance .

"Robbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Let's go _do _something! No ones out here tonight, why don't we go have some fun?"

The raven haired boy turned his head slightly, one eyebrow raised before turning back to the streets.

The older teen felt her mood drop as she watched her friend, still as a statue, hidden eyes glued to the streets. Sure, she was completely thrilled to be out here with the kid again, but to spend the night in 20 degree weather just _sitting_ was really starting to get to her.

Her hands trailed down to her utility belt, fingers wrapping around her shiny black grappling hook. The next building was _so _close! Maybe she could…

"Robin…I missed you, you know. A lot." The redhead murmured, her voice soft and serious, losing all enthusiasm.

The boy next to her turned away, running a gloved hand through his tousled hair. There was a long moment of complete silence as he lifted his head to observe the glowing moon.

"I know Batgirl. It's just… I have a team now! You knew from the start that I wasn't going to be around as much." Robin paused, the white lenses of his mask disappearing as he closed his eyes. "Besides," the lenses reappeared, as well as his usual smug smile. "You and Batman have things covered around here. It's pretty obvious that Gotham doesn't need me anymore."

Batgirl shook her head, scoffing at the idea. "Doesn't need you anymore? HA! The day that Gotham doesn't need Robin is the day that the Joker knits Batman a sweater, and we all know that isn't happening anytime soon."

Robin snorts, picturing the Dark Knight. "You got that right."

Both teens grew quiet. Then, a small smile broke out on Robin's face. He turned to Barbara, trying to stifle the grin, to no avail. The heroes locked covered eyes, and burst out laughing.

And just like that, all of the tense silence and seriousness of the situation evaporates like it was never there. That was the thing that Barbara liked the most about Dick. No matter how bad the situation, he always has a way of making people forget about it all. It was nice, especially in times like these.

"So…" The redhead starts, smiling coyly. "There are plenty of buildings around here…hows about we practice our ninja skills?"

Robin's face turned thoughtful before he opened his mouth to speak. Batgirl laughed before he could speak, throwing her voice into a poor imitation of his. "First sign of trouble, its back to business. I know I know."

The younger teen pursed his lips, shooting a wary glance at the streets down below before looking back at his partner, whose hands were clasped under her chin in a pleading manner. The boy sighed. "Fine."

"Yes! Awesome Robbie! This is gonna be so much fun! Where do you wanna start?"

No response.

Huh…?

"Robin?" The girl frowned, scanning the area around her in confusion. He was gone. Right when she was going to call out for the ebony haired boy once more, the faint echo of a cackle reaches her ears.

He didn't…

"Robin! You cheater!" She calls, Jade eyes barley catching the edge of his cape as he swings around a corner. Unhooking her grappling hook with a large grin, she follows after.

This was the Robin she missed.

XxXx

Walls of grimy brick and murky glass mixed into a faded blur as Barbara flew past buildings, the night's cool air making her shiver. It also made her smile widen. The girl's dark hair was blown out of her face as she maneuvered turns, the bright glow of the crescent moon guiding her way through the alleys.

Barbara had lived in Gotham for most of her life, a born and raised Gothamite, but, when she was soaring through darkness in empty midnights, this was honestly the only time she had thought of the city as her home. When the cars stopped driving and the people went away, the redhead felt a certain wave of calmness sweep over her that she just couldn't explain. It was the one of the best parts of being Batgirl, in her eyes.

The girl tucked her legs in, swerving around an edge at an alarming rate. Her adrenaline rose, causing her lips to tug into a breathtaking grin. It was crazy how different it all was; being a super hero.

'_Being a hero comes with sacrifice. You're going to get hurt, and it's going to be hard. Any fight that you involve yourself in could be your last. There are people at there that you don't want to meet. They don't have hearts, and no matter how much you beg for them to spare you or to let you go, or to have mercy, they won't. I can promise you that.'_

Batman had been right, of course. She remembered her first night on the job, her first real fight.

_Robin turned toward her, an animated grin plastered on his face. "Babs! This is gonna be awesome! We're gonna kick some serious ass out her!"_

Robin had been right too. In one way or another.

Her first battle scar had come shortly after, as well as a two day stay in the hospital, courtesy of Poison Ivy.

"_And who are you? A girl bat? My my…" The woman's grin turned wicked, her fingers twirling through the air, twisting a tangle of vines up Barbara's torso. The ropes tightened painfully around her rib cage. She could feel the layers of thorns tearing through the Kevlar under her uniform._

_Poison Ivy advanced, circling her prey with hungry eyes. She paused suddenly, clicking her tongue as she reached forward to grab a chunk of the girl's hair. _

'_I must say, I love your hair…such a waste. "She shook her head, giving the fiery red lock a tug for good measure._

"_It's a shame you know..." the vines pulled tighter. "You're strong. You put up quite a fight." She laughed, twisting two of her fingers in the air.. "And my babies seem to have taken a likening to you." Ivy sighed, pulling her hand into a fist. Barbara couldn't breathe. _

"_We could've been great friends, you and I..." Her vision turned splotchy. A choked sound escaped her throat as her lungs heaved with effort._

_The older women turned, eyes glittering as she admired her previous victim, the boy wonder, who was strapped to the wall, thick weeds wrapped around his ankles and wrists. He struggled uselessly._

"_Oh well. Once a bat, always a bat." With one final grin, Ivy balled her fist, knuckles white with force. _

Blackness had followed immediately.

The green eyed girl had taken a lot from the experience. She had trained daily, working harder than she ever had in her life.

Then came her next fight.

'_Robin! We can't fight them both alone! C'mon! Let's go get Batman." She had pleaded, tugging the raven haired boy's arm uselessly._

_Her partner turned with a smirk, eye lenses pulling down in a dangerous glare. _

"_We can do this."_

They couldn't of course.

"_Babs… I'm sorry. Clayface just… I didn't see him until-"_

"_Dick. It's okay."_

Her statement held partial truth.

Batgirl glanced up, leaning back to take in the blanket of stars over head. The wind whistled past her ears.

Four years of crime fighting had taught her quite a few important lessons. She had faced many trials and errors, and had learned something from each villain she stood against.

The power of fear.

The effect of a word game against the brain.

The benefits of a cold personality.

The problem with standing in someone's shadow.

Insanity at its worst.

She had taken it all in, and built her persona to match.

The girl breathed out a soft smile. Her look on crime fighting had always been more like Batman's. Robin, on the other hand, had a whole other approach. One she still didn't quite understand. He was a mysterious kid, hard to read. There were a lot of things she wouldn't understand about him. His thought process being one of them.

"_Hey Babs?" the boy called, shifting his head towards his friend. His blue eyes held a look that couldn't be determined at the moment._

"_What's up?" she called back, quirking an eyebrow._

"_Do you think it's always gonna be like this? Just the three of us, fighting crime?"_

_Gordan studied the acrobat's face. His expression was hopeful, filled with promise._

"_I hope so."_

_Dick smiled, laying his head back down in the waxy grass. "Me too."_

That was last summer. Both teens had been on a victory streak, and things in Gotham had been calm, so Batman had given them the weekend off. Barbara didn't realize how much she had taken the boy wonder's company for grated.

'_C'mon Babs! I want you to meet my new team! I'm sure you'll love them!'_

Robin had started working with a group of super hero teens a couple months after their break, taking missions farther away from the crime riddled city. She had been happy for him.

'_Batman? Are you sure Robin can't come to stake out tonight?'_

'_Robin is on a mission with the team. He won't be back tonight.' The gruff voice replied._

And that's the way it was. For months. Gotham's trio was down one member. It just wasn't the same anymore.

'_Sorry Babs. Wally, Roy and I are taking a mission down in Star. I'll be back soon though, I promise.'_

'_Sorry. Can't tonight. Emergency at the mountain. I'll make it up. Promise.'_

'_Sorry. Maybe next time? We will go, I promise.'_

'_Sorry! Captain cold's starting trouble down in central city. Called for back up, gotta go! Be back soon I promise!'_

Same thing, night after night. He's doing his job, she had told herself.

_Barbara watched her friend race through the cave, grabbing various weapons and stuffing them in several belt pockets. "Robbie? I though we were going to patrol tonight?" her tone held the sadness she had been trying to cover._

_He paused, turning with an apologetic smile._

'_Sor-'_

_She sighed, eyes lowering. 'I know. It's okay.'_

_He took in a long breath, looking down at his boots. _

'_I really am sorry, Barbara. I'll make it up to you. I-'_

'_Promise.' She finished, turning away as the teen mounted his motorcycle, shooting her sad glances the whole way._

One thing she did know about Robin though, was that he kept his promises. That's why he was here tonight.

She ended up at the city's docks, hoping that the boy wonder had ended up here. Her jade eyes traced the perimeter as she rehooked her grappling hook to her utility belt.

Hmm.

The wood beneath her feet was cracked and warped, withered with nails and hooks and who knows what else. Stacks of crated lined the sides of countless warehouses, making it easy for Batgirl to keep to the shadows.

"Robin?" she whispered, voice unsure. "Rob-MMRPH!" a gloved hand cut her off, grip firm over her mouth. She turned quickly, ready to fight, but was relieved to she that it was Dick. He held a finger to his lips, then motioned to the warehouse labeled "24"

Barbara follows his stare. A group of rough looking men were walking out of the shack, obviously arguing about something. One man, the leader, she guessed, held some sort of case with a dingy looking blanket draped over the top. As they walked closer, she was able to pick up some of their conversation.

"Come on boss! Nobodies gonna find out!"

"Listen you idiot! I told you _specifically_ to CHECK. FOR. CAMERAS.! Is that to much to ask? Is it? ANSWER ME YOU DUMBASS!

Robin tensed.

"uh-n-no. I guess I sh-shoulda gave the p-place a b-etta look do-down."

Then came the laughing. A deranged, creepy laugh that held anything but amusement.

Batgirl shuddered.

A gun cocked.

"hmm..i guess you should've."

**Bang!**

Barbara's eyes widened. She shot a wary glance at the boy wonder, who had his hands wrapped around a sharp bird a rang.

Someone cleared their throat. "Clean this up and dump the body. I gotta get this to the code." A pause. "Learn a lesson from this guy. Don't let his death be in vain."

The laughing started up again, ringing out over the sound of heavy boots thudding across the dock. A timid voice spoke up suddenly, cutting off the sound.

"um.. boss? I don't think we shou-"

Tense silence filled the air, putting both heroes on edge. They shared a look. Neither one knew what to do. Should they get involved?

Seconds passed before the gun cocked once more.

Yes. Yes they should.

The man's voice filled the air once more, filled with acid.

"You. Don't. _what?_"

Robin sprang into action.

The raven haired boy dashes around the corner, flinging his weapon at the man with the gun the second he sees him. The bladed bird spins rapidly, edges glinting in the moon light. The boy takes of running, climbing stacks of crates to take the group on from above. The bird a rang sticks it's target, wedging itself painfully into the man's outstretched wrist. Said man howled, shocked by the sudden pain, and drops his gun.

That's when Barbara takes action. She runs towards the group, flinging tiny smoke bombs towards the shady looking bunch. They go off, plumes of grey surrounding the men and sending them into coughing fits. Robin jumps down from the crates, landing his elbow into the closest man's back. Batgirl grabs the first guy she sees, pulling him sharply to the ground. He yelled, kicking his legs back in an attempt to break free as she twists his arms back. One of his boots smack against the redhead's shin, sending her backwards before she can catch herself. The man, a blonde with a mean scowl, reaches toward his belt. _Great. _She thinks bitterly, watching his hand clasp around a black handle._ They all have guns._ Batgirl spins on the man, sending her foot into his arm before he can grab his weapon. He falls back, giving Barbara just enough time to pull out her staff. She expands it quickly, sending it into the man's forearm. He grunts, running forward to grab her. She parries his attack, turning quickly to find Robin. He's fighting the main guy, keeping him away from his gun, it seems. The strange case that he was carrying before is gone, as well as the rest of his group.

_I need to get rid of this guy so I can help Robin._ She thinks, jabbing her elbow into Blondie's chest. The teen twirls her staff quickly, flipping backwards and landing a blow into his shoulder. He falls with a groan.

_Perfect._

Her metal plates shoes click across the ground as she runs, her staff spiraling as it twirls at her side. Robin kicks his guy backwards, in Barbara's direction. He stumbles, arms flying out to catch himself. The girl lunges forward, shoving her weapon under his legs and pulling him to the ground. He lands with a heavy _thump,_ but jumps to his feet in a fast recovery. Robin cackles, flipping himself over the leader's shoulders to stand next to Batgirl. They share a smile.

_Batman stands before the young teens, mouth pressed in a grim line. He clears his throat, dark eyes studying the heroes' faces._

'_When you are in combat, you need to remember a few rules.'_

'_Work together. You're a team.'_

Batgirl grabs the guy's arm, pulling it behind his back before he can punch Robin. The acrobat flips backward, pulling another bird a rang out of his belt. The man struggles.

'_Don't get cocky. Anything can happen.'_

The bird a rang flies, catching the man's sleeve and sticking to the wall of the warehouse. Barbara grins, doing the same, pausing only to high five her teammate. Soon, the man is completely fastened to the wall. He tugs his arms, grunting in annoyance. Robin steps forward with a smirk.

"Now, who exactly are you working for?"

The leader sneers, navy blue eyes pulled down in a glare. "Get outta my face, kid. I ain't sayin' a thing."

The ebony haired boy nods, shooting an amused look at Batgirl.

"I think you'll change your mind after Batman gets here." He states, clicking a button on his belt. It flashes red.

The teen looks back up, expecting the man to be shaking with fear, like most criminals do at the mention of Batman, but, oddly enough…

He's smiling.

Batgirl scrunches her eyebrows. She notices his eyes are focused on a point behind her.

'_Last rule, the most important. Never turn your back on a criminal.'_

Robin turns, confused. He squints, and then widens his eyes in shock.

"Batgirl mov-!"

' _Ever.'_

**Bang!**

XxXx

- Arrow.


	2. Chapter 2

The pain was what pulled her emerald eyes open. It wasn't the sound of heavy boots thudding past her head. It wasn't the sound of sirens in the distance, signaling her father's squad was racing through the city. It wasn't Robin's voice, laced with desperation as he pleaded for help. It was the pain.

Hands pressed down over her abdomen, holding tight, trying in vain to stop the ongoing flow of coppery blood. Her ears rang; everything sounded so _loud._ The cars, the chopping water underneath them, her own breathing. Her vision swam, focusing and unfocusing as the white hot burning seared through her stomach.

Her eyes trailed up to her friends face, watching as he slowly lost his composer. One gloved hand was pressed firmly to the comlink on his ear, the other over her wound. His lips were moving, but she heard little of what was being said. He looked angry, determined, fearful. It was an odd mixture of emotions. It didn't suit the 13 year old at all.

"-ease! We need transporta-… -the docks! Call batm-..!... –KF get canary! The bleeding won-"The words she picked up were edging into hysteria; the boy wonder was loosing his calm. Both hands were on the bullet hole now, and Robin was speaking to her. She tried to listen, but her hearing had chosen to be selective, much like her vision.

"-ay with me Babs! You can't- this!.. gonna get help, I promise!."

That word. Loud and clear, buzzed past her ears. She hated that word. _Promise._ It held no truth in her mind. She trusted Robin, the boy above her that had lost the hardened expression of a hero, and was now Richard Grayson. Her classmate. Her best friend. Her little brother.

She trusted him, not that word.

Her heartbeat thudded in her skull. It was loud, but not in the least bit fast. She listened with a sort of sick wonder as it skipped beats, gradually losing momentum. Her eyelids dropped, the lenses of her cowl following suit. Robin lifted his hand to her cheek, tapping it frantically. She could smell her own blood.

"-abs! Don-… -ake! ..-ease! – 'mon!"

Tears slid out from under the boy's domino mask, locks of raven hair falling over the lenses. He reached up, wiping his pale cheeks with his arm, keeping his bloodied glove away from his face. She wanted to talk to him. Tell him how she was sorry for doing this to him. That she was so happy to be on patrol with him again. That she would be okay. That she would stay awake for him. That he didn't need to worry. That it didn't hurt.

Her voice was lost, replaced by a gurgled cough. Blood sprayed over her lips, spattering over one of Robin's porcelain cheeks.

She wanted to apologize.

Robin paid no mind to it, didn't bother to wipe any of the blood off as a sob ripped through his throat. He had put two and two together. She was internally bleeding. If help didn't come soon…No. Robin had broken his promises to her in the past, but there was no way he was breaking anymore. Help would come, and she would be okay. He just had to keep her awake.

Barbara fought of a wave of dizzying pain; wound throbbing heavily as more and more crimson liquid pored from it. It hurt. It hurt more than ivy's vines, Joker's crowbar, the freeze ray… it was all she could focus on. That never ending, never lessening pain. Robin grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it tightly. She could almost picture what his eyes looked like behind that mask. Those bright blue eyes… always filled with happiness…

This was all her fault. She shouldn't have guilted Robin into patrolling with her. He had a team that he loved… missions all around the world… why should she hold him back in this city?

She needed to let go.

The girl focused hard, ignoring the pain as best as she could to try and get some of her motion back. It took a lot, but slowly, surely, her fingers curled themselves tightly around the boy wonders, squeezing back with all that she could muster.

Then, she let her hand go slack, and allowed the pain to flood her.

With one last, lazily little smile to the panicking boy above her; she slipped her eyes shut, cowl mimicking the action.

And that was it.

xXxX

When you close your eyes, what do you see? Normally… it's just black.

Barbara saw starch white.

She marveled in this, the pretty, flowy color that seemed to coat her body. She felt nothing, no pain, no hands, nothing.

Her ears didn't ring.

Her throat didn't feel like it was coated in the thick coppery blood that she had coughed up.

She couldn't hear her heart beat.

It was…strange.

And then, there were eyes. Looking down at her carefully, filled with an emotion that she couldn't pinpoint. They were beautifully colored, hazel nut brown. But what stood out most was the gold. Vibrant gold, almost shining, tinged through the irises in random little patterns.

"You made a mistake." The voice floated through her ears, the clarity beyond any she had heard before. The words were soft spoken, tone feminine, but held a sort of underlining accusation that made her heart pang.

"I shouldn't have done this. It was quite obvious that you were ready to die."

The eyes disappeared, and Barbara was once again staring at white. She couldn't move.

"You aren't dead, by the way. But if you want to be…" there was a quiet sigh. "I mean, I can't _force _you to live or anything… no matter how much I think you should."

The red head opened her mouth. Or at least…she though she did. She really didn't have any feeling.

"Oh! Sorry sorry…" a short laugh followed, one that reminded the girl of bells. "I always forget this part." A tap rang out, somewhere to the left, and the white nothing literally oozed away.

Her fingers twitched.

"Here, let me just…there! Better. Better?" she felt arms wrap under her and pull her up until she was sitting, gazing around a small room. She couldn't move anything under her core.

"Okay. So! Moving on!" a girl, around her age, skipped over until they faced each other. She gave a tiny bow, cheeky grin spread across her face.

"Barbara Gordon of Gotham city, a pleasure to meet you!"

The girl was pretty. Her skin was pale, and perfectly smooth. Her hair was a butterscotch color that fell just above her shoulders in loose curls. Her outfit was plain, but it was obvious that she had something to do with the hero business, judging by the gold cape trailing down her back. She looked like a hero…almost like…

Something tugged in Barbara's mind, some sort of recognition, but she pushed it back.

The girl smiled again, her bandage wrapped hands trailing up to her neck and clasping around a shiny chain.

"So.." she bounced on her heels, almost giddy "Do you want to live?"

Want to live? It was a good question, but did she even have to think about it?

What if she said no? What would happen? Well…

No. why was she thinking about it? It wasn't an option.

The green eyed girl finally heard her own voice.

"Yes."

The gold..or hazel eyed girl squealed, irises glowing. The laces of twisting color shone so brightly that Barbara held up a shielding hand, backing away quickly.

Then, she was plunged into black.

xXxX

**Thanks! This chapter took me a while to get started on. For some reason, I always have to be in a certain mood to write for this story. Maybe because it is a tad bit darker than what I'm used to writing.**

**This chapter may be confusing, but fear not! Next week there shall be a chapter that pieces things together a little more.**

**Reviews:**

Keepmovingforward2- **thank you! I do hope to continue this one :D hopefully I can keep the motivation.**

Guest- **aww :D glad I could come up with an idea that you like! I do the same thing all the time haha. But you know what they say, if its not there, write it yourself! ..ok. I don't know if anyone necessarily says that..but.. thanks for the review!**

Masqueraded Angel- **Thanks! Can't wait to write more :)**

Saint Ginger-** A chapter is here! Sorry for the wait, I know this took forever. Hopefully the next one won't pose the same problem. Thanks!**

FudoTwin17-** …sorry. Poor Babs. I felt really bad writing this. Ugg. I'm horrible. But Babs is tough. I guess we'll see what happens. :) thanks for the review!**

Lakeshine- **… is today ok? :)**

**Until next time**

**-Arrow.**


	3. Chapter 3

His tone had been like nothing the five teens had ever heard before. Always so calm, so sure, so collected. Even and assertive.

Just..broken. Beyond physical pain, boarder line panic. Pleas in the form of sorrow filled sobs.

"_Robin to Mount. Justice. Robin to- oh god. H-hang on batgirl-"_

The previously cheerful Wally West had frozen, green eyes flashing through dozens of emotions, unable to settle on just one.

Confusion. Worry. Fear. Concern-

"_Please! We need transportation! Bullet wound to the abdomen- Gotham City, West! The docks-"_

The room was silent.

Robin's com-link crackled as he pulled in a shuddered breath. Sirens wailed in the background, distant but steady.

The redhead's eyes darted to his teammates warily, taking in the same expression that he must have been wearing himself. No one said a word aloud, but their minds were screaming.

'_Who was shot!? Robin! Are you okay? Are you hurt!? Where's Batman? What do we do? What do we do!?"`_

Glances were passed, frightened. A choked cough sounded through the transmission, and the ebony haired boy they all loved looses his last bit of composer.. He calls frantically for his best friend K.F, for Black Canary, for help. Footsteps thundered in the background, radios crackled, voices gasped.

The Boy Wonder had finally cracked. The shell he wore 24/7 in his resident city was shattered, and it scared every one of the teens into action.

XxXx

When she opened her eyes, the air above her shimmered. A soft glow, twirling in foggy swirls of swimming glitter. The colors around her resembled the sun at dawn; faint, yet vibrant tones of warm yellows and light oranges. Her emerald eyes blinked, pale fingers reaching up to touch the flecks as they twinkled and spun in lazy little circles.

"Pretty, isn't it?" the voice, the girl with the golden eyes, chimes happily, her location unidentifiable. Barbara squints, watching as her hand passes through the fog, leaving behind a trail of murky gray when her skin makes contact.

The ground is warm under her back, nothing like the brittle wood of the docks, or the cold, hard surface of the floor in the white room. It's…nice.

The girl appears without warning. She's quiet, swift. Her stealth matches…Robin's.

Robin.

She looks different today, yet the same. Chestnut hair pulled up in an easy ponytail, spandex skirt and top the color of vanilla with an emblem the same color as the glimmering air. When she spins around to offer Barbara a bandaged hand, the redhead notices that her cape also glimmers, when it catches the right amount of light. It was very... Whimsical?

Their hands make contact and Barbara is pulled to her feet. The bandages are rough, like they don't belong anywhere near the girl's skin.

Emerald eyes meet gold laced hazel. Barbara's mouth opens, ready to inquire about the wrapping, but the words fizzle out as the girl's cheery smile falters. She pulls her hand away quickly, choosing to busy herself with her silver chain instead. Somewhere in the distance, a lone bird chirps a simple melody.

"So…you're awfully quiet you know. Usually when people come here, they jabber for hours!" the caped teen giggles, throwing her voice a pitch higher. "What's this? What's that? Where am I? Who are you?"

Barbara studies the strange girl as she laughs away, gold eyes brightening with each smile. Then, she tells her the truth.

"I don't want to know."

The vanilla clad girl raises a puzzled eyebrow, laughter dying away in confusion.

"…you don't?"

The redhead sighs, glancing around at her haze coated surroundings. From what she could tell, they were in some sort of grassy meadow. Violet purple flowers sprung up in every direction, twining themselves around the bases of leafy trees. A soft flutter pulls her eyes watch on as a small bird, no bigger than the size of her fist lands carefully on a low branch, its bright red belly breathtaking against the darkened foliage. The bird chirps quietly, short blurbs of tiny cheeping that sound almost like hiccups. Soft white rings circle the creature's dark eyes, reminding the girl eerily of a domino mask.

She watches, transfixed on the elegant little robin as it swoops down to the grass, clawed feet digging into the dirt as it pads carefully around tall blades of greenery. The bird steps forward, gradually gaining speed as it spots its target. Poking up through a patch of fresh ferns sits a beautiful flower, its petals shaded in the most vibrant shade of purple the girl has ever seen. The robin struggles through the tangled plants, masked eyes focused on its price. Barbara's mouth tries to form words, but she is at a complete loss as what to say. The vanilla clad teen beside her fiddles with her chain, gold irises focused carefully on the flower, rather than the bird.

The pale yellow beak of the bird clamps down on the flower's stem.

The redhead's eyes widen as her right hand tingles with pressure.

The bird tugs with all its might, pulling the flower's roots free from the earthy soil bit by bit.

The feeling in her hand grows stronger, tighter almost.

The plant pops free of its binds.

The robin spreads its wings.

"Oh no you don't," the honey haired girl calls, racing forward quickly and pulling the flower out of the creature's mouth. Squawks fill the once serene air around them, loud and indignant. Barbara starts forward, eyebrows knitted together.

"What are you doing?" she feels herself ask, quite angrily. She's sorry for the poor bird. What gave this strange girl the right to take the flower that he had just worked so hard to get? It was hardly fair.

Bandaged hands cradle the plant carefully, inspecting its exposed roots for damage. The robin hops aggressively at her feet.

The girl's lips twist into a humorous smile, and the words she produces sound almost hollow.

"He's not ready to have it yet, and I'm not ready to give it to him."

xXxX

'_N-no! stop! Let go! Let me stay with her!" _

_The masked boy struggles against the officers pulling him away, wide blue eyes filled with the sight of Barbara's blood. _

_His crimson stained gloves grasp helplessly at her limp hand, trying to keep himself connected to her any way he can. _

_He's slipping._

_Chief Gordan is on the ground, cradling his daughter's head in his lap. His expression is blank. He's holding her identity, along with her dead body. The sight makes Robin pull harder, cry harder. _

"_P-please." He sobs brokenly, giving the older teen's fingers a squeeze. He wished with all his being that she would squeeze back._

_They loose their vice grips on his arms and he breaks free, dropping to the ground and clasping Barbara's violet glove as tight as he can._

"_Oh no you don't" the chief says quietly, his voice gruff with hidden emotions. He unhooks Robin's small fingers from his daughter's, pulling her cold hand away. It drops limply to her bloodied side._

"_You've seen enough. Go home." He utters softly, eyes locked on the redhead's pale face._

_They drag him away kicking, screaming for his dead partner._

_XxXx_

**Author's note:**

**So sorry for the wait guys. I'm trying to get better with updates. Trying. :3**

**Lots of clues in this chapter. Did you find them all?**

**-Arrow.**


	4. Chapter 4

Waiting. If you do it correctly, can be torturous. Not knowing what's in store or what to expect. Being in the dark. Holding your breath, tapping your fingers, watching the clock _tick tick tick tick_ past five minutes. Ten, twenty, an hour. No word from anyone, no answers. Silent suffocation in heavy thoughts.

_What's going on?_

_Tick, tick._

Comm links are down, tossed on the coffee table. Too much anxiety, too much concern. The flood of emotion left M'gann in helpless tears.

The team had done all that they were allowed to do. Now, they were stuck. Waiting.

_Tick, tick, tick._

Black Canary's gone. The blonde had stormed off in a whirl wind, clicking buttons and yelling for Tornado to call Batman. Her voice had floated through the halls, leaving every one of the teens in a tense state of worry.

'_I don't know Leslie's number! It's not on record! Someone's got to have it- Hold on hold on- Oh hell. –No, you listen to me! That boy is thirteen years old!- _Five heads had shot up, eyes widened in concern.-_then don't grab him! Sit him down and keep an eye on him. From a distance. The last thing the poor kid needs right now are a bunch of people breathing down his neck. Here, put him on the phone. No, I'm his aunt. Just put him on._

The woman's voice had grown soft after that, too low for anyone to hear, aside from Superboy of course. His icy blue eyes had grown darker and darker as his sensitive ears picked up broken words, jaw clenching along with his fists. It was no secret that the meta human had a strong connection with the Boy Wonder; a fierce instinct to protect the small acrobat kicked in whenever there was danger. Hearing the boy struggle to keep his voice even as Canary consoled him was enough to make him see red. Whoever had started this mess was going to pay. Dearly.

XxXx

They had taken him to the precinct. He had been there before, of course, but never under these circumstances. An officer; young, paling at the site of the blood covering Robin's uniform, kept a steady hold of his arm, guiding the boy through halls that smelled of stale coffee. There were about a dozen police men there at this time of night, footsteps clinking as the contents on their belts rattled. Every one of them sent a glance over as he was lead past, surprise the dominant emotion they displayed. Probably because he was alone.

The duo turned a corner, and the officer pulled the teen down a hall of glass windows.

Interrogation rooms. Great.

Robin kept his head down as they walked, trying to control his breathing as the images replayed through his mind over and over again. He had gotten it together in the squad cruiser on the way over here. The last thing he wanted was for all his hard work to be destroyed just like that, just because he was going to have to talk about Barba-

Stop. Not now. Not now.

Breath.

Jingling keys barely caught the boy's attention, but he was glad for the distraction. They had stopped in front of one of the metal doors, and the young guy- Officer Kenton, his name tag labeled him-was shakily trying to unlock it.

Robin chose then to look around, studying his surroundings with little interest. His eyes just happened to flicker to the right as the door clicked open, and before he was pulled into the room, his gaze locked with another's behind the neighboring glass.

Navy blue eyes hardened, and the figure sneered; the same sickening smile he had worn when he watched his buddy cock his gun and shoot Batgirl.

xXxX

Her bandaged hands were caked with soil, having spent some time replanting the drooping violet flower. Barbara sat on the plush grass and watched quietly, hugging her knees to her chest. The Robin was long gone, having flown off without stopping to linger in the trees.

The honey haired girl sighed, giving the packed dirt one final pat before dusting her wrapping off and plopping down cross legged in front of the red head.

"Phew. That was close." She breathed, releasing one of her bubbly laughs.

Barbara, however, stayed emotionless. "I…don't understand."

Irises glowed brightly as the other teen perked. "Finally!" she giggled, looking very much like an excited child on Christmas. "I was wondering when you'd start asking. Whatcha wanna know?"

The redhead sighed, chewing on her lip. What did she want to know? She didn't know where she was or who this girl was, and those seemed like some pretty important details.

Jade eyes lifted up to the sky, watching as the puffy white clouds churned and morphed into silly little shapes. She smiled lightly, leaning her head back to watch.

"Everything I guess."

The other girl snorted, crawling over to lie next to Barbara. "Hm. Well that really gives me something to work with. Bunny." She laughs, sticking a finger in the air to trace the lumpy shape.

Barbara grins, pursing her lips. "Nah. Turtle. Let's start with "Where am I?" she prompts as the other girl squints.

"Okay. Well, you're in my place. I made it a long time ago."

"Yeah? Lion." She points.

"Uhhuh. Everyone I save comes here. Most of them end up leaving though." The honey haired girl frowns, pausing. "Tree?"

Barbara nods "Tree." Before turning and raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know leaving was an option."

"Yup. Not saying you have to or anything. But you can."

"Huh." Green eyes trail back to the sky. "You know, I thought I was dead."

The other teen laughs. "I told you you weren't. You could have chosen that though." She nudges Barbara's arm. "I'm glad you didn't. I saved this boy once. He was attacked in an alley a few years back. I was pretty new to this back then. Gave my crystals out carelessly." She sighed "I never regret saving anyone of course. He was just… so bitter. He chose the other way." Her lips quirked slightly in thought. "I ended up breaking the rules though. I brought him back, and now he does this." Another giggle spills from her lips, cheeks frosting with color. "You could say I was fond of him. What a cutie!"

Noticing Barbara's quizzical look, she pauses, slightly confused. "What?"

The redhead shakes her head, eyebrows scrunched. "I'm sorry. You said something about crystals?"

The girl smiles, smacking her forehead. "Oh, duh!" bandaged hands reach down to pull the rest of the silver chain around her neck out of her vanilla shirt. From the end hangs two beautiful cube shaped crystals, each glowing with rainbow color. She displays them for Barbara, grinning ear to ear. "Yeah! These are what I use to save people! I had ten in total, but I've saved eight people now, so this is all I have left."

The other teen smiles softly, hoisting herself up onto her elbow to get a better look. "Wow. This is incredible. Where do they go?"

The honey haired girl tucked the necklace back into her top carefully. "They dissolve. Into your wound."

xXxX

**Now that summer's here, I'm hoping to get these updates out a little quicker. Hopefully. **

**Quiet-raindrop- Hang in there! This won't be too sad; otherwise I wouldn't be able to handle it either! :3**

**BatShitCrazy21- Thank you thank you! Don't worry; I won't go too hard on Babs.**

**InsertDecentNameHere- :D Hopefully this chapter cleared some things up for you! Don't worry, things are going to start coming together very soon, I promise! (P.S. I love your user name xD )**

**Keepmovingforward2- *Cracks fingers* Okay! I won't!**

**Dancingandsingingintherain- Thanks! You are very very very close! **

**LordOfTheBooks- Sorry! No romance here. I wanted them to have a more brother-sister vibe going here. You know, really awesome friends. I guess it **_**could **_**be romance if you wanted, but it might be a little hard to find it. Sorry sorry sorry :/**

**AmaraRae- Thank you just plain Thank you. :)**

**Guys. That's a lot of reviews. Thank you! Ah! I needed to use a ton of exclamation marks there, but I wasn't allowed to! Expressing my excitement is not easy over the keyboard. Keep 'em coming! We're almost to 20! **

**Until next time!**

**-Arrow.**


	5. Chapter 5

"_Breath son, I need you to breath for me. Deep breaths, come on kid! I know you got it in you! Come on! – Somebody grab me a glass of water- Kenton, hold 'im up!"_

Richard shuddered a gasp, his vision blurring out in sickening swirls. The room was too tight, too crowded, too _bright_. Somebody was gripping the sides of his face, tapping his cheeks in an attempt to keep his focus, another set of arms wrapped securely under his shaking arms. It was useless though; images assaulted his clouded brain at a pace that he was hopeless to follow. Somewhere in the very back of him mind, a fresh wave of guilt throbbed quietly, and he wanted to apologize to these people for his inevitable failure.

"_Um, sir? I just.. uh- did you happen to feel his pulse? He's not having a random spell here sir. It's a panic attack. I'm pretty sure we're making it worse…sir."_

Because he knew that they wanted him to fight.

"_Well then shove his head between his knees- Everybody back up! Give the kid some space."_

But all he wanted to do was sleep; just curl up and pass out for a little while. Exhaustion was creeping into his bones, sitting heavy as it stole his fight with ease. His eyes grew impossibly heavy, a moan escaping his lips. This was it.

_All my fault. _

He could see the blonde man laughing, watching Barbara hit the ground with a startled cry.

_Babs…_

Adrenaline drained away, leaving the teen helpless to slump into his grief.

_Why her?_

…

"Sir? He's out… do you want me to.. I mean we don't really have anywhere to..well I guess we could.. um-"

The older man sighed, knees popping loudly as he rose to stand. "Kenton?"

Startled green eyes flickered his way. "Yes- uh yes?sir?"

"Just shut up. We ain't got all night here. Grab the kid and carry 'im down to the Chief's office. He's got a couch in the far right corner- not great, but it's the best option we've got at this point."

The younger man nodded quickly" Right! Yes sir! I'm on it!"

Sergeant Clane sighed in exasperation, running a tired hand over his face as he watched officer Kenton struggle to move, the unconscious boy 'pinning him down' honestly couldn't weigh anything over a hundred pounds.

How this kid stumbled his way through the police academy, he would never know.

What he did know, however, was that it was almost 1:00 in the morning, and his coffee mug was running dangerously low.

With one final sigh to the pitiful scene in front of him, the sergeant spun on his heels and turned down a vacant hallway humming with florescent glow, seriously considering spiking his stale cup of caffeine.

XxXx

The lights were fading fast- Happy creams and golds molding into sickening gray's that startled Barbara out of her reluctant questioning. The switch had been gradual at first; murky tones edging softly to swirl into the sky. But now? Now it was impossible to ignore.

It was everywhere.

Barbara watched in awe as it crept its way into the lush foliage, and scrambled to her feet clumsily when it began to bleach the waxy grass under her back.

What was happening?

"Hey!" She cries, words tinged with confusion choked in her throat as she spins to face the hazel haired girl, stumbling back in horror, and _fear._

The teen hadn't moved an inch, her hands still folded casually under her head. Gold eyes glowed brightly, fixed on the dark rolling clouds. The ghostly ooze of color flowed right under her lithe body, soaking into her spandex costume and drowning the shimmering fabric with greedy haste. But it didn't stop there.

Nope, it had to get weirder, of course.

The smoky liquid rolled right over top of her, sucking away the peachy pigment of her skin and stripping her hair of its shine.

She didn't so much as blink.

Barbara was floundering, unable to connect any of her thoughts into words or actions. She just stood there, dumbstruck.

The other girl frowned after a moment, finally showing a response, to the others relief, and pulled herself up off of the now brittle ground.

Her irises looked even more brilliant than before as they darted around, standing out vibrantly against her colorless face. Her lips twisted into a sudden scowl as her eyes trained down to study her outfit. She spun experimentally. No glitter.

"Gross. I hate grey." The girl sighed, her mouth quirking slightly as she turned to a fully colored and extremely confused redhead. "You look like a fish." She stated, sucking in her cheeks dramatically before skipping around her to check on her violet flower.

Barbara snapped her mouth shut, eyebrow twitching.

Mildly annoyed, the green eyed girl watched as a pale finger traced idly over one of the vibrant petals. Her arm tingled, goose bumps rising over her flesh.

The other girl took note, nodding to herself before straightening and spinning around lazily. She puckered her charcoal colored lips, and released a low whistle.

Nothing.

"Ah.." she breathed, dull ponytail swinging slightly as she shook her head. "That's our problem."

Barbara sighed loudly, hands clenching into tight fists as she snapped back to her normal senses. Interrogate.

"Okay. That's it. This has been fun and all, and was nice to be naïve for a while, but now I want to know because that was just…too different for my liking. So," she sighed heavily, meeting gold eyes and bracing herself with determination. "What is going on?"

The other girl clapped her bandaged hands together. "Okay. Lift up your shirt."

"…What?"

"Lift. Up. Your. Shirt. ? Helloooo? Anybody home?" the mono-colored girl giggled, treating Barbara as if she were an incomprehensive toddler.

Jade eyes rolled in annoyance. "Yeah, I got that. Just, why?"

Another sigh. "Not making this easy are you?" Bandaged hands reached forward, tugging the hem of Barbara's plain tee-shirt up just above her left hipbone. Barbara was once again reduced to…a fish.

"Kay. See this?" a dull finger pointed to the rainbow marking that decorated the redhead's once wounded skin.

"How could I not?!" Barbara exclaims, reaching a wary hand down to poke the colorful pattern.

The once- hazel haired girl nodded. "Right. Well, that's where you were injured, so that's where my crystal entered. That's your lifeline." She pointed to the blackened line that ran through the swirling shape. "If that disappears, we've got problems." She paused. "Anyway, in this place, you are represented as an item. Don't know why, I guess it's to keep an eye on what's goin' on down on normal land." A laugh. "You're the flower over there; see how it's still got color?" Barbara nodded, trying to absorb everything. "That's because you and 'indirect flower you' are not an actual _part_ of this place. So any changes _here_ don't affect you. … down in the real world… is a different story."

"So, nothing happens to me when all of this-"she gestured to their surroundings "goes down.. I don't…think I fully understand that.. If it wasn't my fault, then who's?"

The other girl's expression turned into a serious one, a new feature Barbara had yet to see.

"…That's the problem. You see, to keep an eye on things, the people most affected by your injury are represented here as well. When they're affected in reality, we see the reaction here. Whereas, since you are here, they would see a reaction from you, down there, although it would be different of course, not as dramatic…do you follow me?"

The dread was settling in thick. She followed this loud and clear.

Barbara swallowed carefully, dreading the words she was about to here.

"The reaction was so violent, and when the representation didn't come here, I just knew…"

"Robin."

xXxX

**Hey! So, I think I know how these chapters are going to be set up now, just because this was a lot more entertaining to write, and I got it finished a lot quicker. There have usually been three parts to the more recent chapters, those being a view with the team, a view with Robin, and a view with Barbara and the mystery girl. I slimmed it down to two for this one, and I feel like I was able to focus better on the parts because of it. So basically, its just going to alternate. Is that okay? I hope so :)**

**We're past the 20 review mark! Gah! You guys are amazing!**

**AmaraRae- Better than awesome? Aw! Thank you so much :D**

**Lindz4567- Yay! Well, here's some more! Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Guest- Please don't apologize for long reviews! I love them! Thank you for taking the time to write it all out, and a huge thanks in general for being so nice hehe :3 I try with the suspense, but its not really my strong point you know? I just focus on keeping it non cliché and interesting haha! Hm hm hm- hopefully the next chapter will be okay, because it's going to take a **_**slightly**_** different turn. :)**

**Hi- Well hi! That is so amazing! This made a top five! Whoo! Here's an update! Take it! …was it okay? Have you ceased begging? … :3**

**Thank you so much guys! I love reading these reviews so much! They just literally make my entire day, and its so much fun watching your trains of thought in regards to everything going on. Keep them coming please!**

**Happy Saturday! **

**-Arrow.**


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